Deuteronomy 31:26

26 tollite librum istum et ponite eum in latere arcae foederis Domini Dei vestri ut sit ibi contra te in testimonio

Deuteronomy 31:26 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 31:26

Take this book of the law
Not Deuteronomy only, but the whole Pentateuch:

and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your
God;
not in the ark, for there were nothing there but the two tables of stone with the ten commands on them, ( 1 Kings 8:9 ) ; but on one side of it; the Targum of Jonathan says, it was

``put in a chest (or box) on the right side of the ark of the covenant;''

which is very probable. Jarchi observes, that the wise men of Israel are divided about it in the Talmud F5; some of them say there was a table (or ledge) that stood out from the ark without, and there it was put; others say it was put on the side of the tables of the law within the ark; the former are in the right:

that it may be therefore a witness against thee;
when they fall into idolatry or any other sin, a transgression of any of the laws therein contained.


FOOTNOTES:

F5 T. B. Bava Bathra, fol. 14. 1. 2.

Deuteronomy 31:26 In-Context

24 postquam ergo scripsit Moses verba legis huius in volumine atque conplevit
25 praecepit Levitis qui portabant arcam foederis Domini dicens
26 tollite librum istum et ponite eum in latere arcae foederis Domini Dei vestri ut sit ibi contra te in testimonio
27 ego enim scio contentionem tuam et cervicem tuam durissimam adhuc vivente me et ingrediente vobiscum semper contentiose egistis contra Dominum quanto magis cum mortuus fuero
28 congregate ad me omnes maiores natu per tribus vestras atque doctores et loquar audientibus eis sermones istos et invocabo contra eos caelum et terram
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.